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Fullmetal Alchemist Movie: First Image of Alphonse

Hollywood is always looking for new media to adapt into movies. For years, that meant books and plays, but video games and comic books have slowly joined that fray. While the former has found little success, the latter has become a genre unto itself. One area of untapped potential has long been anime and manga. While various Japanese studios have made live-action versions of hit animated series, the trend hasn't made its way to the US. That all looks to be changing over the next few years.

Ghost in the Shell, Naruto, Death Note, and Attack on Titan may all be getting U.S.-based film adaptations over the next few years. While these decisions have been fraught with controversy, no one yet knows how the final product will be received. Attack on Titan actually has its own Japanese-based live action film, and now a Fullmetal Alchemist movie is on the way too. We had previously seen a few blurry shots from the film and gotten our first teaser for the movie. While they didn't reveal much about the Fumihiko Sori-directed film, its winter release date means more information about the project is likely on its way.

Thanks to Twitter user @hagarenmovie, we now have our clearest look yet at how Alphonse will appear in the live-action film. Check out the image below.

The CGI creation looks startlingly similar to the animated version of the character. Hopefully, this attention to detail will translate into an exciting adaptation of the series. Beginning life as a manga written and drawn by Hiromu Arakawa in 2001, Fullmetal Alchemist was soon spun into a popular anime in 2003, with plenty of other media tie-ins following suit. It's got a dedicated fanbase and a unique and fantastical story that's sure to make the film a hit.

The story takes place in a steampunky world where alchemy is an advanced form of science. While attempting to bring their mother back to life with a dangerous experiment, brothers Alphonse and Edward are subjected to a terrible accident. Edward is disfigured and Alphonse is killed. Luckily, Edward is able to place the latter's spirit inside a lumbering suit of armor. The two then begin a quest to seek out the fabled Philosopher's Stone in an effort to save their bodies. Hopefully, we'll be getting a full trailer soon, so stay tuned.

Fullmetal Alchemist is set for a December 2017 release in Japan, but has no U.S. release date yet.